Inks that contain metallic nanoparticles have been developed recently for use with ink jet printers. Among other things, these inks can be used to form electronic circuit devices by printing the inks directly onto substrates in suitable patterns. As particular examples, thin film transistor (TFT) or radio frequency identification (RFID) components can be fabricated on a flexible or other substrate by printing ink containing metallic nanoparticles onto a plastic or other substrate.
These types of inks are typically formed by first manufacturing the metallic nanoparticles. The metallic nanoparticles are stabilized, and the stabilized nanoparticles are formulated into an ink. In one approach, metallic nanoparticles are manufactured using an aqueous solution containing a metal. This approach is suitable for forming metallic nanoparticles of gold, silver, copper, or other metals commonly used with electronic circuits.